Shows
The Joyful Mom Podcast336: Remembering Bus Life With Justin HillukkaSend a message to MeganFind the full episode show notes by clicking here!If you like this podcast, and you have been dealing with anxiety, the effects of trauma, or have sometimes wondered why you act or feel a certain way when you logically know it doesn’t make any sense, then come work with me, where we can together make a difference for you with the anxiety, triggers, and traumas you’ve been dealing with, so that they no longer show up at all.I'm hosting a free Live training, where...2025-05-0834 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast264: How to Help a Loved One in the Aftermath of DeathSend a message to MeganTo schedule your free 1:1 call with Megan, CLICK HERE!For the full episode show notes CLICK HERE!If you like this podcast, and found it helpful, I want to invite you to come check out Grieving Moms Haven. My monthly community for Grieving moms. Where you can learn positive coping mechanisms, find a safe space with others who understand, and learn life-long skills that support you as you learn how to carry this weight of grief in your life.There are group coaching calls...2023-09-2117 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast262: How to Heal TraumaSend a message to MeganTo schedule your free 1:1 call with Megan, CLICK HERE!For the full episode show notes CLICK HERE!If you like this podcast, and found it helpful, I want to invite you to come check out Grieving Moms Haven. My monthly community for Grieving moms. Where you can learn positive coping mechanisms, find a safe space with others who understand, and learn life-long skills that support you as you learn how to carry this weight of grief in your life.There are group coaching calls...2023-09-1435 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast109: Meeting Anxiety Where It’s At With Sandra HoyeSend a message to MeganNote : This episode is a Facebook Live Recording on July 20, 2021.Click here to watch the recording: https://fb.watch/v/3IRqQ5muo/In today’s episode, Sandra shares her grieving journey when she had lost her only child, Conor. She was devastated,depressed, and fell into great anxiety. She also had a recurrence of her cancer.It took her 4 years to finally accept that his son had passed away. She went...2021-08-1936 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast95 : What are you focusing on in Grief?Send a message to MeganEpisode Pointers:In grief, we often focus on it’s negative side. We think that life has to be suffering, life awful and horrible the rest of our lives. It’s also easy to think that people are rude, mean, and they don’t care.It’s easy for us to focus and give our energy on the people who are not helping us rather than those people who have helped, support , and comfort us in our grief journey.Here’s...2021-05-1315 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast94: In the Blink of an Eye with Tina KadishSend a message to Megan“This is the biggest challenge. I've had other challenges in my life but this is far above any challenge that I've had, and any challenge that I think I will have in the future.”Tina KadishEpisode Pointers:We all have this anger. Think of it as like energy that comes up in your body. And we look to who we could direct this anger at. So sometimes it's God, sometimes it's at our child, sometimes at ourselves, sometimes at so...2021-05-0650 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast93: What do I do with my child’s things?Send a message to MeganEpisode Pointers: There are certain things that we want to be gone right away, especially those things connected to their death.In other people’s experience, there are other people who came into their lives and pushed them to get rid of things or pushed them to pack away their child’s clothes when they weren’t ready yet. And, they regretted it or they had to go back and redo it by themselves.There’s a thing...2021-04-2914 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast92: STOP TALKING, START FEELINGSend a message to MeganEpisode Pointers:Stop Talking Start Feeling is a mini-program that helps you process the emotions inside of your body.Many grieving mothers and other people have tried everything but they still failed to process their grief. They still don’t know what to do. I’ve noticed that we get too focused on talking or trying to get through the experience. We forget that we need to sit with it and feel it too.There are 2 ways in Proce...2021-04-2213 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast91: Grounding Your Nervous System with Amisha KlawonnSend a message to MeganEpisode Notes:When we started to get people into their bodies, into their breath, and just feeling what they needed to feel, they got better, and faster.Yoga Therapy really looks at the person as a whole. We all have these different sides and these different pieces of us. But sometimes we look at them separately. Therapy helps you look at all of those different pieces of yourself.Nervous System Grounding:Our nervous system is t...2021-04-1542 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast90: Radical ResponsibilitySend a message to MeganEpisode Pointers:I know how quickly we can begin to pick apart and judge ourselves. I want you to look at yourself and your life with curiosity and ask:Where can I take responsibility? Where is it not my responsibility to take?Do I need to set up boundaries?When your cup is full, you cannot learn anything new.I hope you can open your heart and mind to talking about responsibility today.2021-04-0819 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast89: Anger and Acting Out in GriefSend a message to MeganEpisode Pointers:Grief does not give us the right to lash out at others. It does not give us a free pass on acting in whatever way we want.Lashing out to others and using your anger to hurt others only hurts you more. Anger truly is an emotion that can explode and destroy so many things. It can come out as boiling frustration, explosive anger, resentment, or many other ways. Underneath anger is so m...2021-04-0118 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast88: Suicide, Reiki and death With Sharon EhlersSend a message to MeganSharon has lost her best friend and her former fiance from suicide. In addition to that pain,she has also lost her father from a fall. This combination of heartaches and grief has put her in a dark place where she thought she was not gonna make it.However, she got up, faced grief, and even helped other people who are dealing with grief by founding her company, GRIEF REIKI.Episode Pointers: Back in 2009, I lost my best friend t...2021-03-2546 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast87: On the Exhaustion TreadmillSend a message to MeganSo every day, you wake up, immediately get busy, because if you take a moment to think, you will start to go on the rabbit hole of what happened with your child, how you could have prevented it, and get very depressed and not be able to move. So all day, you exhaust yourself, you put your energy into other people, you run run run, you keep so busy, so that at night hopefully you can be so exhausted you just fall asleep without having to think. 2021-03-1812 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast86: Physical Sickness in GriefSend a message to MeganIn this episode, we are going to talk about how grief affects our health physically.Episode Pointers:Grief, trauma, anxiety, and everything that came in between can cause stress. It will then manifest into physical symptoms.Thus, Grief can show up physically in our bodies.Emotions have a big role inside our bodies. So, processing your emotions are very important in dealing with grief.When you are stressed, have anxiety, fear, and of those emotions that put st...2021-03-1113 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast85: Tips for Getting Sleep When Grief Keeps You AwakeSend a message to MeganSleep is a place where our bodies heal, process trauma and information that we’ve experienced in our lives. Sleep is so healthy for us to get but what do you do when you can’t sleep at all? Here are my tips for you :1. Brain Dumping This is especially helpful for when you try to lay down and you cannot turn your brain off. When all the things going through your head are on repeat and you can’t sleep, you should t...2021-03-0415 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast84: The Layers of grief with Erica McAfeeSend a message to MeganIn this episode, Erica McAfee shared her grief journey, her different layers of grief, and how she used them and got inspired to create a maternal child health company for Black women, the Sisters in Loss.At the age of 14, She first experienced grief when her father died. For many reasons specific to her own grief journey, her grief didn't fully express itself until the death of her 2 angels. The grief that she had felt before somewhat accumulated. She realized...2021-02-2550 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast83: Having Another Baby After lossSend a message to MeganIn today’s episode, we are going to talk about pregnancy after loss, specifically the fear of having another baby.Episode Pointers:I’ve talked to many women who are terrified of having another baby. There are so many unknowns, so many things that they fear, including forgetting their baby that died.Maybe they feel like they are trying to replace their baby who died.Another is that they fear losing that baby and havi...2021-02-1817 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast82: Encouragement to do NothingSend a message to MeganIn this episode, we are going to talk about how taking breaks in your grief works.Episode Pointers:It is a ton of work to manage your mind, your emotions, and sometimes you just want to throw it all out the window and just be where you are at. You recognize that you feel crappy, angry, depressed, but you just don’t want to do anything to change it right now. I talk a l...2021-02-1105 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast81 : You Cannot Wish Trauma AwaySend a message to MeganExperiencing trauma or PTSD while grieving is so challenging. The pain is doubled.You need to deal both of these intense feelings. But how?In this episode, we are going to talk about dealing with trauma while grieving.No matter how many wishes or prayers we need to do, it won’t go away without doing the right actions.Most of you know that my 15 month old daughter died in her sleep, but if you’re new here, that’s my story, and 4 weeks...2021-02-0411 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast80: How to Help Your Grieving FriendSend a message to MeganThis episode is more speaking to those around you to learn about grief and how they can help and support you on your grief journey.Episode Pointers:I often think that our brains are trying so hard to comprehend our loss, that there is no extra room for all the things that used to be easy in the past. It’s hard to keep up on bills, it’s hard to remember anything, it’s hard to keep track of anything, it’s a major fe...2021-01-2813 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast79 : Physical health vs mental healthSend a message to MeganAre you healthy? What are the ways you do to make you healthy?Remember, that being healthy is not only physically but also mentally.So often, physical health takes precedence over mental health. And it shouldn’t be that way.Episode pointers:We cannot see what goes on within someone else’s body or within their mind. So often, as the person who is living in a stressed state, or in deep grief, you might feel like...2021-01-2114 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast78 What is Emotional Freedom Technique/ E.F.T./ Tapping?Send a message to MeganIn this episode, I am going to share a very special tool for you to use to support you in your grieving journey.I often use this with myself and with my clients.This tool is the Emotional Freedom Technique/ E.F.T./ Tapping.This is a tool/tapping in which you tap on your certain parts of your body.First, we speak out all the painful and heavy things.We bring up the pain and hardpoints to the...2021-01-1413 minThe Joyful Mom PodcastEP 77 Does this ever get better?Send a message to Megan“Does it ever get better?”“Please tell me it gets better.” “I can’t keep living this way.” Have you also asked the same question? Are you feeling the same way?Let’s talk more about these questions in this episode.Episode Pointers :Someone else’s experience doesn’t mean it has to be yours. I remember feeling this way, and I remember wondering if I would ever have joy again. ...2021-01-0712 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast76 Anxiety With Your Other KidsSend a message to Megan“If you have other children, how are your anxiety or stress levels about them?”And the overwhelming response was- horrible, over the top, very high, through the roof.In this episode, I wanted to discuss this and offer a maybe different perspective on this.Episode Pointers:Please don’t let yourself do the shame cycle. - Shame does nothing in helping you, all it does is keep you cycling exactly ...2020-12-3116 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast75: How Do I Know if I'm Grieving Correctly?Send a message to MeganIs there a correct way of grieving? This is the common question a grieving mother would ask. We often compare our grieving to other’s experiences.In this episode, we are going to know if there is a correct way of handling grief.Episode Pointers :Each of us have our own path .We have different experiences and different relationships.There is a strong narrative that we all grieve differently in a sense tha...2020-12-2411 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast74: What is the Difference Between Therapy and Coaching?Send a message to MeganBoth Therapy and coaching are very essential in our grieving journey. So, how do they differ and how can they help us in dealing with child loss?In this episode, we are going to know their importance, difference , and how they affect us in healing and moving forward.Episode Pointers:Most therapists are a place for you to go and talk, to get out the stuff that's coming up inside, to get the words out of your mind.A...2020-12-1722 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast73 : A Father’s PerspectiveSend a message to MeganIn today’s episode, I have a very special guest who I hold closely to my heart, my dear husband, Justin.He is going to share with us how he dealt with grief, express it, and how he held our family together during the darkest part of our lives.Episode pointers:We grieve differently. It depends on every individual’s personality.It’s easier for a mom to go to another mom to share her grief journey. We of...2020-12-1028 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast72 : ANTS ThoughtsSend a message to Megan“Ants may be tiny but they can definitely ruin your picnic.That’s how our negative thoughts can ruin our day”.Dr. Daniel AmenIn this episode, we are going to talk about different types of ANTs ( Automatic Negative Thoughts) , and how we can relate these in grieving.Episode Pointers:Thoughts are real, and they have a direct impact on how you feel and how you behave. “You don’t have to believe every thoug...2020-12-0319 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast71 : Ways to remember your child this seasonSend a message to MeganIn this episode, I am going to share with you some tips on how your child will be noticed or remembered in this holiday season.If you want your child remembered, plan something or do something that will remember them, and don’t expect or wait for others to do that.So if you want something in particular, plan it, get it, create it, spread the word, whatever you need to do.Here are so...2020-11-2612 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast70: Grief as a ChildSend a message to MeganWe have a special guest for this episode, Randi Proman Wolfson, who’s going to show us how grief looks into a child’s eyesShe first experienced grief when she lost her dad at the age of 10.There wasn’t any kind of grief support way back then so she failed to process her grief up until she received grief support in her early adulthood.Episode pointers:Teachers should be educated how to handle kids in grief, and teach their...2020-11-1939 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast69: Anxiety and Fear Leading Up to the HolidaysSend a message to MeganFor this episode, we are going to focus on the internal work in ways moving through the holidays.Feeling anxious or dreading the holidays is just normal for a grieving mom.The first thing that you usually say is that your baby/child won’t be here.You won’t know how big the wave of grief may be on that day , but you know that you are scared and don’t want to feel that dreadful pain.2020-11-1212 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast68: 3 Ideas to Support You Through the HolidaysSend a message to MeganHoliday season is a time for happiness and making good memories with your loved ones.How can a grieving mom experience true happiness if she is still having intense pain and longing of her child?In these special holiday episodes,I am going to help you in going through this holiday season.Here are my practical tips for you:1. Have a plan A, plan, B, and plan C.Because you truly don’t know when a grief wave will hit, and it’s help...2020-11-0516 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast67 : God, Grief and the Work I DoSend a message to MeganIn this episode, I want to share to you how God has given me strength in facing the most difficult and painful aspect in my life, the death of my baby, Aria. I believe that she’s in Heaven and in a better place. Even if I wanted her back with me, she would not want to come back. When you are given a trial, God also gives you the strength to be able to get through it. Even if my fa...2020-10-2914 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast66 : The Words You Say and SpeakSend a message to MeganIn this episode, we are going to know how powerful words are especially in grief. We can connect the words in our thoughts, and use them to communicate how we are feeling.That’s the reason why we need to be careful on what we think, and what we say to ourselves and to other people.Here are some points for this episode :We label emotions as GOOD or BAD. We embrace GOOD emotions and...2020-10-2212 minThe Joyful Mom PodcastEP 65 : ALL GOOD or ALL BADSend a message to MeganHow can you tell someone if he or she is good or bad?Is it through his or her actions? In this episode,we are going to realize that we are not ALL GOOD nor ALL BAD. We are a combination of both.Every one of us has our own battles.You can’t judge someone just because of his or her actions. You don’t know his or her story and struggles.2020-10-1511 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast64: Baby Loss and Holding on to Hope with AshleySend a message to MeganIn this episode, we are going to listen to Ashley’s story of grieving, moving on, and inspiring others.Ashley had lost a child not only once, but twice- her two lovely daughters. Let’s know how she was able to stand up and continue healing after these tragic events. She also shared that it is possible to feel both sorrow and joy at the same time. Let’s listen to how it’s possible to feel both...2020-10-0136 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast63 : The 3 Biggest Myths That Are Keeping You StuckSend a message to MeganIn this episode, we are going to debunk 3 biggest myths that are keeping you stuck and preventing you from healing.1. Time – Some people say that you need to wait for 10 years before you are completely done with your grieving. That after that time, you have totally moved on and that you are not hurting anymore with your child loss. That’s a TOTAL LIE.Time does not matter at all.It’s what you do with the time that counts.2. Control- We don’t have control that our child/baby...2020-09-2423 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast62: C.A.R.R.Y.ing GriefSend a message to MeganIn today’s episode, I’m going to share with you a quick guide I use in coaching grieving mothers.Our emotions in grief are just like the ocean with waves that come and go. There are small waves and insanely big waves. Blocking our emotions is just like putting a dam that will explode at any time. I want you to allow it to flow freely in your body.Points to remember: Curiosity – Get curious as to your grief journey and instead of judging...2020-09-1718 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast61: Grief in Your Body Guided MeditationSend a message to MeganGrieving affects our physical and psychological well-being. It puts a lot of stress and tension on both our mind and body.In this episode, we are going to acknowledge, reconnect, and say thank you to our body for working hard during this challenging period.Points to remember :Notice where grief is in our bodyBreathe in lightness, Breathe out the tensionSay hello and thank you to our body2020-09-1011 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast60: Shifting Grief With Mary AnneSend a message to MeganLosing her son to suicide was not something that was on Mary Anne's mind as she tried to support and help her son with his mental struggles.In this episode, We are going to learn about Mary Anne’s layers of grief and how her process has changed as her grief journey has ebbed and flowed.To cope with her grief, she sought help with a psychologist and took anti-depressants. She also diverted her attention to online stuff and traveling. H...2020-09-0330 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast59: The importance of resting in griefSend a message to MeganGrieving over someone’s death is greatly draining not only emotionally, but as well as physically. In this episode,we are going to know the importance of how resting from grief helps you in healing.You need to set a time for grieving and time for mending. Grieving is just like working out.You don’t workout round the clock. You need to rest to recuperate from the stress caused by exerci...2020-08-2718 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast58: Children’s Grief and Trauma with Samantha Colai LMFTSend a message to MeganSamantha is the therapist our children went to after the death of their little sister Aria. I have learned so much from Samantha and I wanted to have her on my podcast to share how we can support our children when we are grieving ourselves. She has so much wisdom, experience, and hope to share for every single one of you and your children.Samantha's websitehttp://www.hoperisingfamilyservices.com/2020-08-2037 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast57: Needing to KnowSend a message to MeganHave you ever felt like you don’t know enough about exactly what happened with your child’s death? Maybe it feels like you cannot find any peace because there are too many unknowns for you? Today, I wanted to dive into how I needed to know everything, and how I began to process that when I was not able to know everything. This little shift in perspective was powerful for me. I hope it can be helpful for you!If you want to schedule a 20 minute call...2020-08-1314 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast56: FearSend a message to MeganFear is driving our world right now, fear seems to be something that stops us from taking action and doing the things we want in our life.Fear definition from online: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.When you lose a child, the fear, the terror, the horror, the awful horrific emotions and pain are not something that is easily described. There is real and true fear there. Fear serves a purpose in our...2020-08-0621 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast55: How To Get Through GriefSend a message to MeganHow do we get through grief? It can feel so impossible. I wanted to share ideas that came to me of how we can learn to walk with grief and “get through” one of the most difficult experiences in our livesListen in to hear the 17 ways I offer on how to get through griefIf you are a grieving mother and looking for others who know the pain of child loss, come join my free Grieving Moms Community Facebook group: www.meganhillukka.com/community2020-07-3022 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast54: Searching for hope in deep grief with Pony WalkerSend a message to MeganI’m so excited to have one of my coaching clients Pony here on the podcast. Pony has been a joy to work with. She’s so open and coachable, and willing to try anything I offer to her. Working through deep and painful things with grief is hard work, and I am so honored to be able to hold the space for Pony and help her process and work through so many of the things that have come up for her with the death of her daughter Jess. I’m so excite...2020-07-2330 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast53: Building Your Support SystemSend a message to MeganAs a grieving person it’s exhausting to be alive. It’s exhausting every single day. And then there are people around us who don’t understand or who don’t say the right things or don’t act the right way and that adds another layer of pain. It’s easy to think that everyone around you is stupid and should be doing better. That everyone around you should do better and know exactly what to do. It’s easy to get angry, hurt, mad, and begin to separate yourself from those who you...2020-07-1616 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast52: Pregnancy After Loss with Amy WatsonSend a message to MeganPregnancy after loss can be a terrifying experience. The worries and fears that come up after you know the possibility of losing another child is a real thing are very real. So I wanted to talk with Amy about this experience, and how we can support ourselves through this experience. Having a baby after loss is a beautiful thing, but it can also be hard.-Who is Amy and how did you come to know grief?-How can this kind of pregnancy change after adding and utilizing tools...2020-07-0931 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast51: What Story Are You TellingSend a message to MeganThe way we tell our story is a powerful thing. We can tell our story with shame, resentment, guilt, and where we keep beating ourselves up. Or we can tell our story with love, compassion, and kindness for ourselves. In this episode, I’m telling my story of Aria’s death from 3 different perspectives- Judgement, facts, compassion for myself.If you are a grieving mother and looking for others who know the pain of child loss, come join my free Grieving Moms Community Facebook group: www.meganhillukka.com/community2020-07-0213 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast50: Why You Should Invest in Your Mental HealthSend a message to MeganRight now, you cannot buy anything from me. I have nothing to sell you in this moment. So I wanted to talk about investing in yourself and why I believe you need to be investing in your mental health.Truly, your mental well-being is a gift. But it’s also something that if you want to, you can invest in yourself the time, money, and energy to supporting and caring for, so that you have the energy to take care of your family. There is nothing wrong with you. God ma...2020-06-2520 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast49: Getting in Tune With Your EmotionSend a message to MeganLooking inside ourselves and beginning to feel our emotions is one of the most difficult things we can do.We are driven by our emotions. Everything we do is because we feel a certain emotion. As a society we have been taught that emotions are fluffy, emotions are bad, emotions are a sign of weakness. But I believe that emotions are a gift that we have been given to process and release the energy of our experiences from our bodies.Our emotions also help us act, not act...2020-06-1811 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast48: Generational TraumaSend a message to MeganI’ve been meaning to do an episode on generational trauma for a while, and I wanted to do it now, with all the discussion around racism and systemic racism. I believe the more we can listen and understand, the more compassion we can have for each other. This is just a small piece of what I’m learning and understand. I’m focusing this mainly on grief, but this understanding of generational trauma helps to show how we are affected by the events that happened in our past....2020-06-1116 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast47: A Honest Conversation With a Grieving MotherSend a message to MeganIn this episode, Marcy Larson, another grieving mother comes to share her story of loss, and how she’s learning to navigate grief. This is a lifelong journey we all face, and it’s a process. Marcy is so open and vulnerable with how her grief is a part of her every day, and how Andy is a still a very big part of her life.-Marcy’s Story as Andy’s Mom-How grief changes you-Who a...2020-06-0448 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast46: How I Became A Grief CoachSend a message to MeganBecause it’s May, and Aria died in May- I want to share my story again and a little bit about my journey to become a grief coach.-Very quick version of a very long story-My journey through grief and wanting to help others-As a grief coach, what’s important for me to doLinks to any resources:When my daughter Aria died suddenly 4 years ago, I wondered if my life was over. My heart felt shattered into a million piec...2020-05-2814 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast45: Triggers and AnniversariesSend a message to MeganIt’s still crazy how suddenly your life can be flipped upside down and everything changed in an instant. Today I want to talk about triggers, death dates, and how to navigate them. Everyone will navigate them differently, but I want to offer some things that have helped me so that these days are not all bad.There’s a quote I heard, never waste a trigger. I love this quote. Because we are triggered, we want to avoid things. We want to run away from it, and never look, or s...2020-05-2115 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast44: Caring For the Child WithinSend a message to MeganWe all come to grief with our own stories and experiences. As children, we may have had experiences that were painful and intense. These experiences may have taught us, that we need to put up a front, that in order to be cared for we need to be helpless, that in order to receive love we need to be complicit, that is order to not get hurt, we have to criticize others. The little child within has reasons for doing that. It’s the way we can protect ourselves. This way...2020-05-1423 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast43: What does it mean to be a mother?Send a message to MeganMother's day is right around the corner. I want to hold space for you, if you are a grieving mother with no other children, a grieving mother with other children, a grieving mother who lost her child before they were born. Wherever you are in your grief, this day can be hard.Today I wanted to ask the question what does it mean to be a mother? What does motherhood look like for you after child loss? What kind of mother do you want to be to your child who...2020-05-0722 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast42: Are You Going Backwards in Grief?Send a message to MeganYou ever feel like you have finally climbed out of the hole of grief, things are going well, and then bam. You are back at the bottom again?-Megan's story when she felt like she was going backwards-What does going backwards mean to you?-What thoughts are you thinking about going backwards and how do those make you feel?-Grief work is always peeling back layers-You never go backwards in grief, you are always walking forward with grief.2020-04-3010 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast41: Grief ComparisonSend a message to MeganToday’s topic is about grief comparison. There is so much comparison in our lives, especially in grief. Your grief is different from everyone else. You can’t compare the depth of your grievance to the other person. Comparison serves a purpose in trying to understand from a place of trying to understand. Comparison is like a judgement of who has it worse or who is valid in their grief.The experience of loss is going to be different for each one of us. Focusing on your own journey can help...2020-04-2314 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast40: Choosing Joy in GriefSend a message to MeganOn this episode, I want to talk about how each one of us has to make a personal decision on our own grief journey. How are we going to live in our grief and what choices we’re going to make? You’d think how you’d become a better person after this traumatic experience. Will you be compassionate or have more love for others? But with pain and grief, comes peace and joy, if you want and look for it.I’ve found so many blessings. Adversities are still there an...2020-04-1623 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast39: How I Define My Grief With Rachel ReichblumSend a message to MeganEpisode 39 Show NotesIn this episode, Rachel Reichblum shared her story on how she knew grief and her journey with grief.- Rachel's Story- What's your idea of fighting grief, versus allowing grief in or letting go?- What did you feel when your parents died? And how did you begin to find yourself again?- What would you tell someone, if someone wants to help someone who is grieving? Instagram: www.instagram.com/thatgoodgrief ...2020-04-0923 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast38: Complaining Vs. Processing EmotionsSend a message to MeganEpisode 38 Show NotesToday's topic is how we navigate ourselves in the midst of our grief to better understand on how we Complain and Process Emotions.-What is Complaining?- What is Venting?- What is processing emotions and how is it different than complaining and venting?- How does a conversation look like when you are processing you're emotions?Download a Free Grief Journal for grieving Mothers here www.bit.ly/griefandlossjournal Cu...2020-04-0212 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast37 Managing Your Mental Health in Times of StressSend a message to MeganSign up for the FREE mini-course "Who Am I?"www.meganhillukka.com/whoami• What is 5,4, 3, 2, 1, Method?•How to be focus despite this chaos?If you like The Cultivated Family Podcast, can you share it with someone who benefits from it as well?Also, if you want to take a moment to review The Cultivated Family Podcast we would be so grateful!You can join me on Instagram I also have a free Facebook group for g...2020-03-2619 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast36 Dealing with Anger in GriefSend a message to MeganSign up for the FREE mini-course "Who Am I?"www.meganhillukka.com/whoamiGrief does not give us the right to lash out at others. It does not give us a free pass on acting in whatever way we want. I know you are in pain. The pain is unbearable many times. But lashing out to others and using your anger to hurt others only hurts you more. I want to ask you this. Do you like the person you become when you talk badly about someone? D...2020-03-1915 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast35 Supporting Grieving Children With Jana DeCristofaroSend a message to MeganEpisode 35 Show NotesI asked my community for questions on how to support and help grieving children. Some of these are their questions, some are mine! :)-Who is Jana, and who do you help, and how do you help them-How do you respond and support children when they tell strangers they don’t have a sibling because they don’t want to feel sad that they don’t?-How can we tell the difference between behaviors that are grief-related, versus unruly behavi...2020-03-1240 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast34 Staying Married After the Death of a ChildSend a message to MeganEpisode 34 Show NotesSign up for the FREE mini-course "Who Am I?"www.meganhillukka.com/whoamiJustin and I talk about the challenges in marriage.We have been married for 9 years.-the common thought that marriages end after child loss-Our first year after Aria died-different ways of communicating-difficult conversations-Shut down/vs start getting more amped up-connecting and drawing closer rather than tearing apart-would we...2020-03-0520 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast33 When Your Grief Has Been Too LongSend a message to MeganEpisode 33 Show NotesSign up for the FREE mini-course "Who Am I?"www.meganhillukka.com/whoamiThere is huge expectation from society to be done grieving in a few daysThe beginning of grief it was easier for me to allow grief in and to grieve openly because it was so obvious that I would be grieving. But as time goes on, grief really doesn’t have such a front seat in my life, and everyone might not realize the depth of grief an...2020-02-2721 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast32 The Things People Say to You in GriefSend a message to MeganEpisode 32 Show NotesSign up for the FREE mini-course "Who Am I?"www.meganhillukka.com/whoami-I Clearly remember the things people have said to me in grief. -Clearly, God knew you could handle it, because I couldn’t.-You are so strong.-God wouldn’t give you more than you could handle.If you like The Cultivated Family Podcast, can you share it with someone who benefits from it as well?Also, if yo...2020-02-2017 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast31 When All You Know is GriefSend a message to MeganEpisode 31 Show NotesSign up for the FREE mini-course "Who Am I?"www.meganhillukka.com/whoami-Who is Lindsay, and how has grief played a role in your life?-What is it like to grieve someone you don’t remember?-You are doing kickboxing for PTSD, can you tell me about that?-On Instagram you said you are working with a somatic therapist, what does that mean?-You ar...2020-02-1350 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast30 Are We Over-medicating GriefSend a message to MeganEpisode 30 Show NotesSign up for the FREE mini-course "Who Am I?"www.meganhillukka.com/whoamiThere's nothing wrong with medicationMedication suppresses Emotion and FeelingsCan You Survive without your Medications?Do you need to rely on Medication? If you like The Cultivated Family Podcast, can you share it with someone who benefits from it as well?Also, if you want to take a moment to review The Cultivated Family Podcast we would be so grateful!You can j...2020-02-0617 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast29 5 Things I've learned with GriefSend a message to MeganEpisode 29 Show NotesSign up for the FREE mini-course "Who Am I?"www.meganhillukka.com/whoamiMental Health is not a given- it can be taken away in an instant.The deeper the depth of pain the we feel, the greater the expanse of joy we can feel. Pain is a part of life, when we allow it to be and learn how to cope with it, we have so much more room for joyHealing is possible, it just looks different t...2020-01-3021 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast28 Permission to GrieveSend a message to MeganEpisode 28 Show Notes-Who is Shelby, and how did you come to know grief?-Your story of the first time giving yourself permission to grieve is powerful. Can you share that story?-How does one go about giving themselves permission to grieve?-I want to read a passage from your book about feeling your feelings(if that is okay?)-There is so much fear in feeling our feelings. I talk often about allowing our feelings in and how they...2020-01-2342 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast27 Grief is a GiftSend a message to MeganEpisode 27 Show NotesSign up for the FREE mini-course "Who Am I?"www.meganhillukka.com/whoamiGrief is hardGrief needs to be foughtGrief is evil and horribleCommon things people say or think with grief.Need to stay strong, keep busy, keep moving, don’t thinkI get it. -it feels painful-it feels for...2020-01-1624 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast26: The Past, Present, and Future YouSend a message to MeganEpisode 26 Show NotesSign up for the FREE mini-course "Who Am I?"www.meganhillukka.com/whoami-What 3 emotions do I feel?-Story of in Florida -Future?-What if your story isn’t over?-Who do you want to be?-How can you mesh grief in your life?-How can you honor your child and remember them, while still fully living this life you have been given?If you...2020-01-0917 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast25 Grieving Changes in Life with TraciSend a message to MeganEpisode 25 Show Notes-How does someone know they are experiencing menopause?-What are the general age ranges?-What are the emotions one might go through because menopause signifies another chapter of your life closing, and aging?-How do you navigate these emotions, and embracing this?Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracijoseph.coaching/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracijosephcoaching/Website: https://tracijoseph.com/Recommended Reading: The Hormone Cure2020-01-0238 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast24 Living a Cultivated LifeSend a message to MeganEpisode 24 Show Notes-What’s the purpose of cultivated family-Why I looked for cultivated family-Lessons of loss from Aria, that life can end or change quickly.-Leaning into the moments-Relationships are the most important things we can have in our lives.-They are the most difficult things as well, but if we are not intentional with them, it’s so easy for them to fall apart.If you like The Cultivated Family Podcast, can...2019-12-2618 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast23 Therapy, Trauma, and Hope with Justin SunseriSend a message to MeganEpisode 23 Show NotesHey, today I'm super excited because I got to chat all about trauma, therapy, and how we are stuck and not broken with Justin Sincero. Justin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who calls himself a trauma nerd. It was such a fun conversation, and I hope this can help you seek the help you might need and gives you hope that trauma is not the end of your story. As Justin says, there is so much more information on the internet, and so...2019-12-1952 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast22 In the Absence of JoySend a message to MeganEpisode 22 Show NotesGrief is not a disease. It is not an illness that needs to be done with and moved through quickly.So what do you do, when grief is overshadowing our lives, and it feels like joy is not possible for us again?-You need to make the decision.-You might have to do things that don’t feel very good. Things that scare you. Things that hurt-Self-care-Self-awareness-Asking for help even th...2019-12-1223 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast21 How to Calm Your Mind To Allow Sleep InSend a message to MeganEpisode 21 Show Notes-Who is Nicky, and how did you come to be a sleep coach?-How do you calm your mind so you can go to sleep?-Sleep is safety, and Satisfaction-Sleep Hygiene.-How does one who doesn’t feel safe, and has extreme anxiety and sadness because of grief support their mind to go to sleep?Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicky.blakeman/Facebook: https://www.facebook.co...2019-12-0550 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast20: You Got Engaged at the Cemetery?!?!Send a message to MeganEpisode 20 Show NotesWhat in the world does our engagement story have to do with Aria, and grief? Well, it actually has a lot to do with it. It’s funny how we can look back and things are so perfectly connected, even though they are connected in ways we don’t wish they would be.Our story certainly is a unique one, and a very special one to us. You will have to listen in to find out why!-Justin’s sister Annette...2019-11-2821 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast19 Triplets, Bedrest, NICU, and Baby loss with NicoleSend a message to MeganEpisode 17 Show NotesI want to thank Nicole for sharing her story today, there are so many layers and parts to it, that I felt like we hardly got into it. We could have kept talking for hours it felt like. We didn’t really even get into grief and what it’s like after losing a child, but Nicole’s story is so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, that those things can wait for another time. -Nicole's Story-How has th...2019-11-211h 11
The Joyful Mom Podcast18: Surviving the HolidaysSend a message to MeganEpisode 18 Show NotesI want to talk about surviving the holidays I remember my first year after Aria died. I looked around and everyone was so excited for the Christmas season. There is such a feeling of joy, excitement and happiness. When you are grieving, it seems like all that excitement is too much to handle. And I longed for my old self who could laugh and not have a care during the holiday season.-I want to share my first experience with Thanksgiving the first...2019-11-1415 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast17: Shining Leydens Light With MelissaSend a message to MeganEpisode 17 Show NotesToday I’m chatting with Melissa Dlugolecki, a life coach, a bereaved mother, and podcaster like she says so many other things as well. But Melissa shares the lessons she’s learned from her daughter Leyden so openly and helps other people find those lessons within themselves as well.-Melissa's Story-What is NEC?-What is one book that has encouraged you and helped you?Podcast: Grief Guts and Green SmoothiesInstagram: www.insta...2019-11-0729 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast16: There is No Wrong Way to GrieveSend a message to MeganEpisode 16 Show NoteToday’s topic is surrounding grief and the common saying there is no wrong way to grieve. Everyone says that over and over. And I'd like to say that we all get to choose how we want to grieve. We all get to choose what methods and ways we use to cope, but there are definitely healthy and unhealthy ways to grieve.-Next weeks guest is a woman who is shining her daughters light in the world-Get to a place of...2019-10-3116 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast15: Post-Traumatic Growth in GriefSend a message to MeganEpisode 15 Show NotesToday’s guest is with Krista St. Germain a grief coach, who works specifically with widows as she is a widow herself, but this conversation seriously fires me up. I love everything Krista shares, and I love the work that she’s doing.-Krista's Story-What is post-traumatic growth?-What is Brooke Castillo's model? And how do we apply it to grief?-What is the difference between pain and suffering?Instagram: lifecoachkrista2019-10-2432 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast14: What Are You Thinking?Send a message to MeganEpisode 14 Show NotesIn this episode we are diving into thoughts, and how starting to notice our thoughts can change our lives. It literally changed my life.-Examples of how noticing my thoughts have changed my life-How this is not meant to make you happy 100% of the time-How grief and suffering are different-Our thoughts have a big impact on what we do in our livesDownload a Free Grief Journal for grieving Mothers here2019-10-1717 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast13: When Your Body Knows Grief with MoniqueSend a message to MeganEpisode 13 Show Notes-How Monique came to know grief?-How she began to learn about grief and trauma stored in the body-How grief yoga different than regular yoga-How do you begin to let go of the trauma or grief that is in your body?-What is difference between trauma and grief?-What are ways someone could allow grief to move through their body, and support their grief by themselves in their home? Do you have a specific exercise...2019-10-1052 min
The Joyful Mom PodcastFrom Broken to ChangedSend a message to MeganEpisode 12 Show Notes-Lessons I've learned from losing my daughter Aria-How I have come from feeling emotionally fragile and shattered, to stronger emotionally.-How jumping so fast to medication, drinking, numbing in other ways, prevents us from experiencing and moving through grief into a full and beautiful life.Download a Free Grief Journal for grieving Mothers herewww.bit.ly/griefandlossjournalCultivated Family on Instagram:https...2019-10-0316 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast11: Second First Time Mom with AmandaSend a message to MeganToday's guest is mother who is parenting her child who is not with her. Amanda shares about her daughter Juniper on her Instagram, and in pregnancy began sharing about pregnancy after loss. We recorded this episode just a couple days before Amanda's second daughter Coral was born. Now Amanda shares what parenting after loss has been like for her. Lets welcome Amanda as she shares real truths about life after your child dies.You can follow Amanda on Instagram @orangeafmamaIt's OK not to be OK- Megan DeVine2019-09-2649 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast10: As a Grieving MotherSend a message to MeganEpisode 10I have thought of these things over and over lately so I wanted to share some thoughts on them.-The need to "stay strong"-The fact that you matter- Grief changes you forever-The importance of communityThe doors to The Grieving Moms Haven are currently open. This is a place to take off the mask, and rest your weary heart. A place where you can be seen and see others who are walking the same path as you. As a...2019-09-1923 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast09: Building a Beautiful Life With Mental Health StrugglesSend a message to MeganEpisode #9: So many of us experience mental health struggles, yet we suffer alone and in silence. Julie Lee’s mission is to let others know that they are seen and heard, because compassion and connection save lives. In today’s episode, Julie shares with us her journey with her mental health, and how she’s coping and utilizing today to be able to live a functional and happy life. I’m thankful Julie is so open to sharing her story, as I know there are many of you who might be...2019-09-1239 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast08:Four Things I've Learned in GriefSend a message to MeganEpisode 8 Show NotesFour things I learned in my grief after my daughter Aria died. I so badly wanted to go to sleep and not face what was my life looming in front of me. I learned there was no way I could go to hide from my grief.-Grief does not go away-Time heals all wounds(or not)-Grief numbing-Building your life bigger around griefGet on the waiting list for The Grieving Moms Haven: www.bit.ly/thegrievingmomshaven 2019-09-0514 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast07: Supporting Women with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety with LyndseySend a message to MeganThe first step to getting help, is becoming aware that there is a name to what you are experiencing, and that there is hope and help out there. Today I’m talking with Lyndsey Proctor who owns a outpatient treatment center for mothers who are experiencing postpartum depression, and anxiety. I am so grateful Lyndsey shares her knowledge with us today, as it could be the first time you are hearing that you are not crazy, and that it’s okay to get help. Listen as she shares her experiences as sh...2019-08-2935 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast06: The Waves That Come With GriefSend a message to MeganEpisode 06 Show Notes:-I love analogies of grief- I heard this one soon after Aria died-Waves of Grief- an old mans words-How scars are a testament to life-How I never really want the waves of grief to go away-Grief is our love for our childDownload a Free Grief Journal for grieving Mothers herewww.bit.ly/griefandlossjournalCultivated Family on Instagram:2019-08-2213 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast05: Walking the Line of Grief and Relief With Melissa SulleySend a message to MeganEpisode #5: Show Notes In today’s conversation, listen in as Melissa from Josiah and Co shares about her precious angel babies. She has experienced 8 pregnancies, and 2 children living here on this earth. Melissa has fueled her grief into crocheting and makes booties with heaven babies in mind. She shares about what it’s like to experience pregnancy after loss, and what it’s like to walk the line between grief and relief. Ways to connect with Melissa:Instagram: www.instagram.com/josiahandco and www.instagram.com/carried...2019-08-1540 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast04: Stages and Emotions of GriefSend a message to MeganShow Notes-Stages of Grief is a misconception-There are no stages in grief-Every person grieves different, and it's more of a web or roller coaster-Anger-Depression-Shock-Guilt-Acceptance-So many more emotions to grief-It's up to you to learn to carry your own grief- no one else can do it for you.Download a Free Grief Journal for grieving Mothers herewww.bit.ly...2019-08-0816 min
The Joyful Mom Podcast03:Winging It On a Prayer- Infertility and Adoption with Danelle BeckstrandSend a message to MeganEpisode #3 Show notesDanelle Beckstrand-We Call it a JourneyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wecallitajourney/Blog: https://wecallitajourney.com/The Journey Market: https://wecallitajourney.com/shop?olsPage=productsDownload a Free Grief Journal for grieving Mothers herewww.bit.ly/griefandlossjournalCultivated Family on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/cultivatedfamily/Living with Grief Facebook Community:...2019-08-0148 min
The Joyful Mom PodcastIntro to the Cultivated Family PodcastSend a message to MeganHey there~I'm Megan from the Cultivated Family Podcast. I just wanted to briefly introduce myself, and why this podcast exists. I want to share stories and connections so that people feel seen and heard. I will cover topics including grief, mental health, trauma, tools and ideas of ways to learn how to carry our pain, motherhood and marriage. These are all things that are very prevalent and real to me in my every day life, and I want you to know you are not alone in yours.2019-07-1804 minThe Joyful Mom Podcast01: My Story of Grief, and Loss of My Daughter AriaSend a message to MeganDeath comes suddenly and unexpectedly, even if it was expected it's never real until it happens. My daughter Aria died suddenly, and I wanted to share a few things I've learned about grief and loss.In this episode I talk about:-Aria's death-Brilynn's birth-Emotions that come with grief-Finding out I had PTSD-The questions that came up in my grief-Facing grief head-onDownload a Free Grief Journal for grieving Mothers herewww.bit...2019-07-1814 min